Juliette Ackerman, 14, from Dallas, Texas, discovered she was pregnant in March 2023 at just 13 years old.
Juliette, who goes by the nickname Jules on social media, felt embarrassed upon realizing she was expecting and faced a difficult decision about whether to keep the baby, consider adoption, or terminate the pregnancy. She ultimately chose not to proceed with an abortion and had to confide in her mother, Krista Boyd, 39, about her unexpected pregnancy.
‘When she found out she was pregnant, Juliette told me a few days later and my initial reaction was that I didn’t want her to come home,’ Krista said.
Talking about her teen-motherhood journey, Juliette explained: ‘I was pregnant at the end of eighth grade, and it was so hard, kind of depressing and embarrassing. When I saw those two lines on the pregnancy test, I was horrified. I believed to my core that I could not get pregnant, and I was infertile.’
Since welcoming her daughter, Violette Ackerman, six months ago, Juliette has embraced her journey as a teenage mother. The 14-year-old has been sharing her experiences on TikTok, where she has faced criticism from some users who believe she is too young to parent.
While acknowledging the challenges of her situation, Juliette has embraced motherhood despite initially feeling unsure if she had a “motherly bone” in her body.
During Juliette’s pregnancy, concerns arose due to her young age and a short cervix, which posed risks of hyperemesis gravidarum—a condition causing severe vomiting leading to weight loss—and prodromal labor, false contractions.
At 36 weeks, Juliette began experiencing intense contractions, prompting hospital visits where early delivery seemed imminent. After multiple hospital trips, Juliette safely gave birth just a day before her due date in December.
Since becoming a mother, Juliette has been earning money by doing nails, selling her old clothes, and babysitting.
Talking about the decision that changed her life, Juliette said: ‘It wasn’t a good decision to get pregnant at 14, but it was a good one to keep her for sure as she’s perfect. Throughout my whole pregnancy I did feel very left out with most things. I would see my old friends going places for the summer and I couldn’t even hang out with my friends. But eventually I learned to cope with it.’
